Endocarditis, Intra-cardiac Thrombus, and Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm in a Patient with Behcet's Syndrome.

Behçet's Syndrome (BS) is a chronic vasculitis of unknown etiology. Arterial involvement occurring in the pulmonary artery is associated with poor prognosis. It may cause pulmonary thrombus (PTE) and aneurysm (PAA) which may also lead to a rare complication, intracardiac thrombus.

CD39 expression on immune cells predicts methotrexate response in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Background/aim: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting mostly small joints, such as hand and foot joints symmetrically with irreversible joint destruction. In this study, the relationship between CD39 expression and the treatment response of RA patients was examined to investigate its potential as a biomarker that demonstrates treatment response.

Materials And Methods: This study included 77 RA patients and 40 healthy controls (HC).

Does decision tree analysis predict oral ulcer activity-related factors in patients with Behçet's syndrome?

Objectives: The study aimed to identify the interactions among treatment protocols and oral ulcer activity related factors in patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS) using the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) algorithm.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 979 patients with BS were included from16 centres in Turkey, Jordan, Brazil and the United Kingdom. In the CART algorithm, activities of oral ulcer (active vs.

Mevalonate kinase gene polymorphisms in ankylosing spondylitis patients: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the potential effect of the mevalonate kinase (MVK) gene polymorphisms on the pathogenesis and clinical findings in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.

Patients And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 103 participants (63 males, 40 females) between January 2013 and January 2014. Of these, 51 (32 males, 19 females; mean age: 37.

Sex-specific analysis in Behçet's disease reveals higher genetic risk in male patients.

Objectives: Behçet's disease tends to be more severe in men than women. This study was undertaken to investigate sex-specific genetic effects in Behçet's disease.

Methods: A total of 1762 male and 1216 female patients with Behçet's disease from six diverse populations were studied, with the majority of patients of Turkish origin.

Thyroid Volume in Systemic Sclerosis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystemic disease. Thyroid involvement in systemic sclerosis is an overlooked issue. Our study aimed to evaluate the decreased thyroid volume in SSc.

Arterial evaluation of systemic sclerosis patients with Doppler ultrasound: What did we find?

Aim: The aim of this study was to detect macrovascular findings in systemic sclerosis (SSc) by means of color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) and to evaluate the relationship between the laboratory and clinical findings in the setting of the disease.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Eighty-eight patients were included in the study.

The Efficacy of a Home-Based, Self-Administered Hand Exercise Program for Patients With Systemic Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled, Evaluator-Blind, Clinical Trial.

Background: For patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), hand involvement is an underrated clinical manifestation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a hand exercise program and to demonstrate its effect on hand function, quality of life, anxiety, and depression in patients with SSc.

Methods: This study was designed as a single blind, randomized controlled comparative study.

Identification of susceptibility loci for Takayasu arteritis through a large multi-ancestral genome-wide association study.

Takayasu arteritis is a rare inflammatory disease of large arteries. We performed a genetic study in Takayasu arteritis comprising 6,670 individuals (1,226 affected individuals) from five different populations. We discovered HLA risk factors and four non-HLA susceptibility loci in VPS8, SVEP1, CFL2, and chr13q21 and reinforced IL12B, PTK2B, and chr21q22 as robust susceptibility loci shared across ancestries.

Moderation analysis exploring associations between age and mucocutaneous activity in Behçet's syndrome: A multicenter study from Turkey.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of age on mucocutaneous activity by using moderation analysis in Behçet's syndrome (BS). In this cross-sectional study, 887 BS patients (female : male, 481:406; mean age, 38.4 ± 10.

Predictive factors for work-day loss in Behçet's syndrome: A multi-center study.

Objective: The aim of this multi-center study was to assess predictive factors for work-day loss as an indirect cost element in Behçet's syndrome (BS).

Methods: In this cross-sectional, multi-center study, 834 BS patients (F/M: 441/393, age mean: 38.4 ± 10.

Importance of 14-3-3eta, anti-CarP, and anti-Sa in the diagnosis of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis.

Background/aim: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation. The study aimed to assess serum 14-3-3eta, anti-CarP, and anti-Sa in seronegative RA (SNRA) patients who were treatment-naïve as well as in healthy subjects. This is the first study in the literature to examine these autoantibodies together in SNRA patients.

Mannose-Binding Lectin 2 Gene Polymorphism in PANDAS Patients.

Introduction: Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS), a subgroup of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), has received much attention even though the specific underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a key factor in the innate immune response. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of MBL2 gene polymorphisms in pediatric OCD patients diagnosed as PANDAS, PANDAS-Variant and non-PANDAS.

The distribution of MEFV mutations in Turkish FMF patients: multicenter study representing results of Anatolia.

Background/aim: The distribution of Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene mutations in Turkish familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients varies according to geographic area of Turkey. There is a need for highly representative data for Turkish FMF patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the distribution of the common MEFV mutations in Turkish FMF patients in a nationwide, multicenter study.

The frequency of diastolic dysfunction in patients with sarcoidosis and it's relationship with HLA DRB1* alleles.

Background: Impaired systolic function is common in sarcoidosis however the frequency of diastolic dysfunction (DD) and it's possible genetic basis has not been fully elucidated yet. The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of left ventricular DD(LVDD) and right ventricular DD(RVDD) and it's possible relationship between Human Leukocyte Antigen(HLA)-DRB1* alleles in patients with sarcoidosis.

Methods: Seventy seven patients (51 females, mean age 41.

Neuropathic pain: is it an underestimated symptom in systemic sclerosis?

Pain is one of the most common symptoms in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, yet not considered in the assessment of disease severity. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of neuropathic pain (NP) and to evaluate its interference with the quality of life (QoL) in SSc patients. Diffuse and Limited SSc patients diagnosed by American College of Rheumatology 2013 criteria were included in the study.

Early prediction of sarcoidosis prognosis with HLA typing: a 5 year follow-up study.

A wide range of HLA-DR alleles have been associated with sarcoidosis either in terms of disease phenotype or extra pulmonary involvement, however the effect on non-resolution in different ethnic groups is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether disease characterics and HLA-DRB1 alleles may early reflect non resolution in sarcoidosis. 91 patients who were diagnosed in Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine Department of Chest Diseases between 1993-2012 and were followed up until June 2017 were included in the study.

Cardiac disease in familial Mediterranean fever.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease manifested by inflammatory attacks of peritonitis, pleuritis, pericarditis accompanied by fever and arthritis. Mutations of MEFV gene results in pyrin dysfunction, which causes uncontrolled interleukin-1 beta production and triggers the inflammatory attacks. Inflammation persists even during attack-free periods in one-third of the FMF patients.

Criteria sets for primary Sjogren's syndrome are not adequate for those presenting with extraglandular organ involvements as their dominant clinical features.

Patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) may go undiagnosed or be misclassified due to the insidious nature and wide spectrum of the disease. The available several classification criteria emphasize glandular findings. We aimed to analyze the efficiency of various classification criteria sets in patients diagnosed on the clinical basis by expert opinion and to compare those pSS patients who fulfilled these criteria with those who did not.

Remarkable damage along with poor quality of life in Takayasu arteritis: cross-sectional results of a long-term followed-up multicentre cohort.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the outcome of a large Takayasu arteritis (TAK) cohort using the vasculitis damage index (VDI) and quality of life (QoL) scale, tools which have been validated for vasculitis.

Methods: Disease activity, damage and QoL were cross-sectionally evaluated in 165 TAK patients from 6 centres. SF-36 were applied to 51 age-matched healthy controls (HC).